Your Photos Contain a Lot More than Your Captures

We all take photos from our Mobile Phones and Digital Cameras and with the applications available at our dispose, We can upload them to every possible Social Network, Photo sharing sites at a click. These uploads can contain a lot more information about you than what you intended or expected to reveal.

Recent Happenings:

A Hacker who published the personal details of hundreds of police officers online was recently caught and unmasked, All this happened just because of a picture he uploaded on the internet.

The hacker had taken a Photo of his girlfriend from his iPhone and uploaded it directly to Twitter without realizing that the Photo he uploaded had GPS Co-ordinates attached with the photos which pointed directly to his house.

Most of the modern Smartphones have options that allow you to attach extra information to the Images that are captured. These data are known as Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF).

Take a look at the CameraZOOM FX Android App having an option to save GPS Coordinates.

EXIF data can contain a wide variety of information about the Photo embedded within the image. These information can range from just the Date when the photo was taken.. to the GPS Coordinates of the place where the photo was taken (as you already saw in the above case).

Worst of all, Many social networks still don’t strip out these unnecessary data, as you have seen the case with Twitter. P.S I haven’t personally tested this thing with Twitter but Facebook seems to be a good boy and strips out nearly (extremely in case of Cover Images! Sigh) all the unwanted data to save their server space. Yeah, Having these EXIF Data attached can weigh up your image sizes.

How to View the Embedded EXIF Data.

1. There are tools like EXIF Viewer for Firefox and EXIF Viewer for chrome available as Addons and Extensions.

2. Online tools like ExifViewer are available for uploading your Pics and viewing the embedded data.

3. Native Windows Properties Tab, Right click the Photo > Properties > Details Tab. There you have all the embedded information.

How to Remove EXIF Data from Photos.

EXIF Data can be removed from these photos using the following methods:

Method #1

Open the Properties > Details Tab and edit out the unwanted values.

Method #2

Use Adobe Photoshop > Open the photo > then File > Save for Web & Devices and make sure that “Metadata” is set to “None”.

Method #3

Use Image MetaData Stripper software. [LINK] Download the software > Open > Choose the image > EXIF Stripped (Done). Choose to make a backup.. just incase..

Next time before you upload a sensitive photo, Make sure you strip it up! Share this info if you found it useful 

How To Keep Your Data Safe?

In a study carried out by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, it was found that there have been more than 360 million personal records lost as a result of data breaches – including everything from Social Security numbers to credit card information. At the same time, organizations, businesses and individuals who are increasingly reliant on digital methods of storing data are finding that the security and integrity of this data can easily be undermined. While backing up data can seem to be a waste of your time and your resources, its value will become apparent if ever you are threatened with data loss. Data can have high personal or commercial value, and it can be devastating to the owner if it is suddenly and irrevocably lost. With a good strategy for backing up data, you need not worry about data loss or corruption.

How Should I Back Up My Data?

There are many different methods you can use to ensure that your data is safe and secure. One of the most simple yet effective measures you can take is to use the services of a CD replication company to create data back-ups. As a whole, the computer industry itself relies on the practice of back-ups to keep sensitive and important data secure. Backups remain today the most foolproof way of safeguarding data for the future. Data stored on physical disks, removed from your computer, is more secure than the data on your hard-drive: if your hard-drive is damaged or your computer attacked by hackers, the physical disks retain the integrity of the data. A duplication service can back up your data to CDs, DVDs or flash memory drives, for easy retrieval. When choosing a provider, ensure that the service makes use of the most up-to-date duplication equipment, and that the security of your data is of the highest priority.

You should ensure that you use very strong passwords. Against a determined hacker, a highly complex password is not a substantial deterrent, but it will preserve the security of your data against any other attack – and the damage that an easy-to-guess password can do is considerable. When building a password, use a mix of special characters, numbers and letters, and ensure that it is longer than 8 characters. Do not use dictionary words.

Backup software copies your data in an easy and systematic fashion, ensuring that the backup files contain the most recent version of the data. Data is frequently copied to external storage, such as an external hard-drive or flash drive; and it may also save a carbon copy on the same hard-disk. The kind of physical storage you choose will depend on the amount of data that you need to backup – today, external hard-drives of up to 1TB are available for personal data backup, which is a huge capacity for anyone. You should ensure that the software you are using is compatible with the physical storage you have chosen – network drives, USB sticks, CD-R and CD-RW and DVD-R are commonly supported.

Handy Smartphone Apps to Assist You in a Road Trip

There are those who love a long drive and there are those who have a slightly more tenuous appreciation to road travel. But whether you’re taking a road trip out of the necessity of moving or temporarily relocating, or you’re taking a trip for the purpose of vacationing out on the road, you have to be prepared. You have to know where you’re headed, how you’re going to sustain yourself, stay safe and how, despite it all, you’re going to enjoy yourself. Apps don’t offer the answers to all these issues, but they certainly don’t hurt. The following is a guide on how to best use your smartphone or tablet to travel on the ultimate tech-facilitated road trip:

Maps

Google Maps is surely the most popular of map applications and considering it’s probably already installed on your device, its impressive feature set and accuracy in satellite and standard map modes will continue to serve you well… until you get really lost, can’t get a data signal at all and are left to your own devices (unless you have a dedicated Sat Nav machine, which may well be a worthwhile investment).

• The Android version of Google Maps can precache a 10km square area if you go to Settings > Labs. If you know you’re going through an area with poor reception, this can be useful (especially as GPS can work even where phone reception is poor and is entirely free to boot). However you will need significant foresight and it’s kind of useless on very long journeys;
• For iPhone, “City Maps 2 Go” is a cheap app with maps for “7,800 locations” worldwide. In the US, this includes entire coverage of cities and counties. A number of countries in Western Europe, as well as Kenya, are also completely available. Simply search for places you’re planning on visiting before you go, and they’ll be popped into your phone’s memory;
• “MapDroyd” is the closest Android alternative.

Food and Drink

For emergencies, you should always have supplies of bottled water in the car in your trip, but in the course of normal operation you’re going to need to know where to head

• Speaking of water, there are apps that specifically point you to sources of free water in the US and the UK. TapIt is an iPhone only, US-based option. “Water Water Everywhere” provides that same service in the UK;
• Urbanspoon remains a popular restaurant recommendation and randomisation app for both Android and iOS in much of the English speaking world (US, UK, Australia, Canada);
• Other options include toptable, FastFood , OpenTable and Zagat.

Breakdown and Repair

Sometimes, things don’t go smoothly. You should always carry spares and tools so you can fix most problems yourself, but you never know when you’re going to suffer a total breakdown. Tech can help you with this too:

• Several roadside assistance services provide apps that are useful for many aspects of motoring, but a great feature of some of these apps is the ability to make a GPS pin-pointed Road Service request;
• Apps from AAA (the American Automobile Association), the AA (UK), Green Flag (UK), the CAA (Canadian) and countless other providers of Nationwide Vehicle Contractseach offer an app on a variety of platforms;
• Depending on your location, manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Mazda operate a similar service;
• In the US, Repair Pal is a service that can put you in touch with nearby garages.
• There are several apps out there that will advise you on the nearest gas/petrol stations and on their prices. Gasbuddy is one option in the US, the UK has MyGas – prices are usually dependent on user updates, however.
• If you get really lost, there’s a Bear Grylls app that covers every aspect of survival training.

Staying Connected

Though touched on with the maps section, the Achilles heel of any great app is whether it works offline or not. The depth of information that most of these services provide simply requires storage outside of the confines of your phone. And if you’re beyond the reach of your phone network, or simply wanting to download lots of data quickly, you need a Wi-Fi connection. How do you find one?

• Well, on iTunes, you don’t – prominent services like WifiTrack, which searches for strong, free Wi-Fi signals in your area, were removed from iTunes store;
• On Android and iTunes JiWare’s WiFi Finder is an option that provides an offline database without the privacy concerns that shut other apps down;
• A BT Fon app shows you where all of the provider’s (paid) wi-fi hotspots are in the British Isles, and other services have similar apps.

Related posts:

1. Some Handy iOS Apps for You Apple Devices
2. How the Android Gadgets Are Dominating Market
3. Instagram for Android Now Available for Free Download on Google Play
4. Angry Birds Space Available for Download on Your Device
5. Instagram for Android Opens Registrations to Early Beta

Password protect your Google Chrome browser

Password protect your Google Chrome browser | Simple Startup Password

If you want to protect your browser by password , you can do it easily in chrome by using a simple add on. Why do you need to protect your browser by password?? You know better.. yeah..

If you use remember me option in many websites login, you should have to protect your browser for your accounts protection. 

Use Simple Startup Password chrome extension which you can find in chrome's extension gallery.

Install the add-on on your chrome and then go to Settings --> Tools -->Extensions --> Simple Startup Password and click on Options. Set a password for your browser and done.Now it will ask for a password every time when you will start your browser.

Download here:

You have to reinstall your chrome if you forgot the password.

How to Generate A Customized Theme for Google Chrome

Chrome users up to now had just the choice to set up normal themes in their browser. This has evolved with the development of the standard My Chrome Theme extension by Google.

How to use My Chrome Theme Extention

Chrome users can make use of the app to generate their personal customized theme that is not that diverse from that of Firefox’s aspect. It requires 3 setup actions to generate the theme. You choose a picture or image from your PC, or make use of a plugged in webcam to develop a photo in the first step. When you finally have added the image it is possible to modify the image’s placement if required, choose to upload a new picture, or proceed to the second step.

When chosen the fit to screen, fill screen and tile image positioning options it utilize the resolution of the computer’s monitor, and not of the Chrome browser’s window.Remember that, specifically if you are not operating the browser in fullscreen at all times. The next step of the procedure allows you to transform the following 3 colors of the browser:

•  Toolbar Color
•  Background Tab Color
• Frame Color

You have to label your theme in the final step, and could include an optionally available description at the same time. A new page opens up subsequently with an install option to install the theme locally, as well as a share url for those who want to share the theme along with other Chrome users.

Bonus Tip: Upload a sole color photo if you only wish to transform your browser’s frame, tabs along with background colors.

Theme generation is really easy, and if you are able to get the appropriate picture,it could appear great. Keep in mind the background picture only appears when you open new tabs.Chrome users who would like to try their hands on the extention can install it at the official Chrome Web Store.
You may also delete the themes by clicking on the My Chrome Theme icon that appears on the new blank tab. All of the themes are shown on the page. Just position your mouse on one and click on the delete button to eliminate it from your browser

Some Handy iOS Apps for You Apple Devices

The iOS is an exceptional Operating System which has brought a large number of brand new and exciting features to the gadgets such as the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch but more than that it has also enabled the developers to be on the board with even better games and apps. It does not matter if it is a great old application that has been recently updated with exceptionally new functionality, or newly developed application that never would have ever been possible before, users can now access everything ranging from Documents, applications and a lot more.

There is undoubtedly going to be a flood of them soon, right at the moment, following are some of the best Apps for iOS 5.

Documents in the Cloud (iWork Numbers, Pages, and Keynote)

The iWork app by Apple is useful in providing users with a productivity suit that mainly includes the Keynote presentation maker, Pages word processor, and number of spreadsheets. However, these are not much powerful and robust as Microsoft’s ubiquitous Office suite which is suitable for smaller jobs and they can make for even better and beautiful laid out documents. You can get this app functional with $10 max.

[Download Link]

Newsstand (Newspaper and Magazine Apps )

This app is useful in managing subscriptions related to media such as newspapers and magazines. It is really only a custom folder, and newspapers and magazines are still served through this application, but with this App you can have them all at one place, it updates automatically as soon as the new edition is out.

[Download Link]

AirPlay Mirroring (Real Racing 2 & Real Racing 2 HD)

FireMint has always been considered as the cutting edge feature of the iOS gaming and when it comes to iOS 5, it is not anything different.

The Real Racing 2 has been updated for the iPhone and the Real Racing 2 HD is for iPad which is useful in supporting the recently launched AirPlay Mirroring feature. If you are considering buying the app for your iPhone it will cost you around $2.99 and $3.99 iPad.

Real Racing 2 [Download Link]

Real Racing 2 HD [Download Link]

Twitter Integration (iQuick Tweet)

The iOS has integrated the Twitter integration feature which enables users to rapidly tweet YouTube videos, photos and a lot more. With iQuick Tweet you can be in touch with your Twitter account smartly even when you are on the go. It is exceedingly simple to use and it’s just too fast. You have to perform some work on test basis. You can get this application for only $0.99 for your iPhone.

[Download Link]

Location (Foursquare)

For users who are making use of the iOS 5 version, foursquare app offers them with a new Radar functionality, which is useful in alerting your friends whenever you or anyone of them are near and doing something adventurous and fun, even when your iPhone is right in your pocket. This application can be downloaded from the App store for free.

[Download Link]

About the Author:

Vilma Jones wants to provide some useful tips which would be quite beneficial to smooth the way of Test4prep exam clearance. Would you like to go through Adobe Certification guide self assessment tutorials.

Did you like these iOS apps? Share your favorite apps with other readers!

Top 7 Creative Ways for Marketing with Social Media

Honesty for social media marketing would be the first step towards building a more tangible and emotionally rewarding network. In an effort to lead creative social media marketing, the purpose of the campaign should be made clear first. Whether you are using it to:

• Drive traffic to your personal website.
• Drive traffic to your employer/company’s website.
• Build personal brand awareness.
• Build company brand awareness.
• Find contract work.
• Drive votes at social news sites.
• Accomplish purely personal goals.

Before listing the most creative ways to use social media marketing, let us first list some platforms, based on the number of registered users, you can consider. (Approximate figures)

• 100 Million+ Users (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, Myspace)
• 25 Million+ Users (Reddit, Flickr, Yelp, Wikipedia)
• 10 Million+ Users (Tumblr, StumbleUpon, Slideshare, Scribd)
• Upcoming (Dribbble, Forrst, FourSquare, StackExchange)

Reaching out for more customers and prospects, building relationships and ultimately expanding your business should be the aim of your social media marketing strategy. Using creative social media ideas to market your business may just be the right tool to help drive sales and the suggestions would be endless. Here we go:

1. Color It Up With an Image

Using attractive images will help you drive traffic from Pinterest, help you generate likes and comments, get the attention you need and promote your shares. Grab your crowd with a great image and always keep them asking for more.

2. Add Your Logo

Social media has been an integral part of almost every business from the product to service end. It would be great idea to include your business logo to your social media marketing campaign. An attractive and yet professional looking logo on your web page will help you increase followers, friends and increases a perception of your business size. Your brand identity across various platforms becomes distinct and helps you stand out from competitors.

3. Create a Blog

Create your blog with quality content which describes your business well and helps provide information to your network. This would keep them interested and encourage them to spread the word.

4. Embed QR Codes

Quick response codes will help the users to instantly download information which will be used to provide feedback and suggestions. This increases interaction and helps in business development.

Read More : Make Yourself a QR Code Profile

5. Upload a Video

Creating and uploading a video is the latest trend to get more ‘likes’ and ‘shares’. People these days find it boring sometimes to read through the content, thus video marketing on social media sites helps them expand their network.

6. Ad-Free Content

Make sure your content over various platforms is ad-free. Look forward to earn through increase in sales, and not by letting advertisers crawl within your content.

7. Stunning Design

Lastly combining all the aspects of creative marketing, make sure your web page looks stunning and should appeal to the masses.

Read More : Tips to Plan for a Custom Website Design

Social media helps benefit the smallest of business ventures through a combined effort of creativity and marketing strategies. Using these techniques would prove to be beneficial in not only gaining a network of users, but also help you gather the ‘link juice’ you need for a successful online social media marketing campaign.

<Image Credits>

Get Facebook Notification On Desktop | Facebook Desktop.

Facebook Desktop is a must have app for all windows users since facebook has already crossed 500Million users and the new statistics show that every 13th person has a Facebook Account. Therefore its has become a persons part of life to check their facebook accounts regularly.

But I know its quite boring having to go to facebook.com then login etc etc. What if you could get your new facebook notifications right on your Windows Desktop in realtime? wont it be less tedious and hassle free?

Now there is a way to get new notifications,status updates etc on your windows desktop in realtime. The name of the application is Facebook Desktop.

Features of Facebook Desktop:

• Get facebook notifications on your desktop as soon as they arrive.
• Get latest status updates by your friends.
• Get friend requests on your screen.
• Update your status updates from your desktop.
• and many more…

How To Install Facebook Desktop

1. Go to Facebookdesktop.com.
2. Click Downloadnow.
3. If you don’t have Adobe Air installed it will be automatically installed.
   
4. After Adobe Air is installed the application installation starts.
   
5. Click Install and Continue, Accept the License Agreement.
6. The Installation has completed successfully.

How To Setup the Application:

1. After the Installation has finished the following Pop-up window comes, Enter your facebook Username/Email and Password and Click Log In.
   
2. Allow the application to connect to Facebook.
3. Now the Application will reside in the Notification Area and will alert you of New Notifications and Updates.

Share your experiences with Facebook Desktop via comments!